ABSTRACT

This study has examined the effect of industrial pollution on soil, the physico-chemical and heavy metal properties of the soil and on early growth performance of some economic plant species namely, Talinum thangulare, Pentaclethra macrophylla and Treculia africana. The study site is the abandoned Sunshine Battery Industrial Site in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa I bom State. Fifteen soil samples were collected within the industrial site, at point of battery waste site and away from it at intervals of 30m, 60m and 90m. Another sample was taken from outside the site which served as a control sample. At each point soil samples were taken from three different levels. (0-10cm, 10-20cm and 20-30cm) and analysed for physico-chemical characteristics, some of the soil samples were used to raise some economic crops in the nursery and their growth characteristics determined. The result obtained revealed that the levels of heavy metal concentration in the soil ranged from (13.9-41.30) mg/kg for Zinc, (11.40-27.15)mg/kg for Boron, (61.40-77.15)mg/kg for Cadmium, (5.35-49.75) mg/kg for copper, (2.40-153.70)mg/kg for lead, (0.40-8.10) mg/kg for Arsenic and (1.50- 4.30) mg/kg for Selenium while in Talinum triangulare the heavy metal concentration on the leaves region ranged from (60.5-88.5)mg/kg for lead, (0.2-1,6)mg/kg for chromium (62.8-70.5)mg/kg for Nickel and (18.0-25.5)mg/kg for copper. In the same way the heavy metal concentration in the stem ranged from (59.0-119.5)mg/kg for lead, (0.5-2.0) mg/kg for chromium, (53.3-91.5) mg/kg for zinc, (4.5-7.3) mg/kg for cadmium, (5.8-18.5) mg/kg for Nickel and (18.5-26.0) mg/kg for copper and the heavy metal concentration in the root region ranged from (58.8-113) mg/kg for lead, (0.3-2.3) mg/kg for chromium, (68.5-110.5) mg/kg for zinc, (3.5-9.0) mg/kg for cadmium, (7.0-18.0) mg/kg for Nickel and (12.0-22.8)mg/kg for copper. The result also showed that the heavy metal distribution in the study area are not influenced by soil depth, while there is significant difference (p<0.5) in the distribution of these metals in terms of distance. The result indicate that the heavy metal concentration in the soil and plants in the study area could have health implication, hence it is recommended that farming in the study area should be suspended to avert health hazards which may result from consumption of any plant product derived from this environment.